THE THROWBACK

Directed by Erin Leyden

When Gordie Lockbaum brought his talents to Division I-AA Holy Cross, his coaches decided to turn back the clock. In this 30 for 30 Short, produced and directed by Erin Leyden, Lockbaum and witnesses look back on the heady days when he might play in 143 of the Crusaders' 170 plays, attracted national attention, and became a finalist for the Heisman Trophy -- twice. WatchMore »

UPCOMING:

August 8 @ 2:00 A.M. The House of Steinbrenner

August 10 @ 1:00 A.M. Mike and the Mad Dog

August 24 @ 9:30 P.M. What Carter Lost

30 for 30 Shorts is a collection of stories from the specific point of view of the filmmaker, showcasing his or her unique take and visual style. By moving away from the traditional multiple-act treatment with a tighter narrative, the short film format provides filmmakers flexibility in the types of stories they can tell.
The first short film in the series, "Here Now" directed by Emmy winner Eric Drath, debuted in 2012 and told the story of Pete Rose -- banned for life by Major League Baseball -- finding work in a Las Vegas memorabilia store. It was followed by "Arnold's Blueprint," directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist ("The Two Escobars"), which focused on Arnold Schwarzenegger's teenage years in the Austrian army and his drive to use the sport of bodybuilding to catapult himself to international stardom.
Since 2012, ESPN Films has debuted dozens of other shorts from directors such as Alex Gibney, Ken Jeong, Colin Hanks, Molly Schiot and Angus Wall, while tackling subjects from Muhammad Ali's rescue mission in Iraq to the bombing at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta to arguably the most lopsided trade in NFL history.

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The Throwback

When Gordie Lockbaum came to Division I-AA Holy Cross, his coaches decided to turn back the clock. This 30 for 30 Short looks back on the days when Lockbaum might play in 143 of the Crusaders' 170 plays and became a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Back in the day, jai-alai players were celebrities that would ceremoniously march out to salute crowds of 15,000 fans, but after a disastrous 1988 strike the game became nothing more than a cultural afterthought.

Alexis Arguello is considered by many to be the greatest junior lightweight of the 20th century. He is also considered the greatest hero in Nicaraguan history for what he did for his people when his gloves were off.

A.C. Green played in an record 1,192 consecutive games and won three NBA titles. What's even more impressive is how he managed to hold on to his devout Christian beliefs, staying celibate until he finally married at the age of 38.

The lasting legacy of the 1970 Kentucky Derby has nothing to do with the winner, Dust Commander. Its true impact came from the assignment that "Scanlan's Monthly" gave to a 32-year-old writer from Louisville named Hunter S. Thompson.

Elvis Presley was many things in America from rock and roll god to film star to cultural icon, but one thing most people didn't know about The King was how much he loved the game of racquetball and what lengths he went to keep it popular.

Hours after President Reagan was shot, LSU and Virginia played in the now-defunct Final Four consolation game. After the game, LSU's star Rudy Macklin made a comment regarding the president that would put him on a fight to restore his honor.

Dick Weber was the matinee idol of bowling, the guy who made the sport appointment watching on TV. But times changed and people started to move on until a rebel took to the lanes to claim the new throne: Dick's son Pete.

In 1977, Marquette coach Al McGuire let star player, Bo Ellis, design the team's uniforms. The most iconic, the untucked jersey, signified the power of uniforms and the benefits of a creative atmosphere, which let a Championship team flourish.